Slide lock structure for slide rail device

ABSTRACT

Provided is a slide lock structure for a slide rail device which can produce a reliable locked state with a high and reliable mechanical strength by using a simple structure. The slide lock structure includes a casing, a pair of lock members provided on the casing, and each provided with a cam surface formed on an outer side thereof, and engagement projections projecting laterally outward so as to be laterally movable between an engaged position in which the engagement projections are received in the slots, and a disengaged position in which the engagement projections are dislodged from the slots, a compression coil spring urging the lock members toward the engaged position, and an operating member provided on the casing in a movable manner, and provided with a cooperating cam surface slidably engaging the cam surface such that the lock members are moved to the disengaged position against a biasing force of the compression coil spring as the operating member is moved vertically.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a slide lock structure for a slide raildevice.

BACKGROUND ART

A known slide lock structure for a slide rail device for use in anautomotive seat device or the like creates a locked state by engaging anengagement claw of a lever rotatably supported by the slider with rackteeth or recesses formed in the lower rail. See Patent Documents 1 and2, for instance.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENT(S) Patent Document(s)

-   -   Patent Document 1: JP2018-75947A    -   Patent Document 2: JP2019-137126A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Task to be Accomplished by the Invention

According to the conventional slide lock structure, it is difficult toachieve both a simple structure and a reliable locked state with highmechanical strength.

In view of such a problem of the prior art, a primary object of thepresent invention is to provide a slide lock structure for a slide raildevice which can produce a reliable locked state with a high andreliable mechanical strength by using a simple structure.

The slide lock structure (10) for a slide rail device (14) according tothe present invention includes a linear rail (24) extending in alengthwise direction, and having a channel cross section including afirst side wall (36) and a second side wall (36) that are separated fromand oppose each other in a lateral direction, each side wall beingprovided with a plurality of slots (40) arranged along the lengthwisedirection thereof, and a slider (26) slidably engaging the linear rail,the slide lock structure (10), comprising: a casing (50) attached to theslider and including a part located between the first side wall and thesecond side wall; a first lock member (56) and a second lock member (56)each provided on the casing, and provided with a cam surface (66) formedon an outer side thereof, and at least one engagement projection (58)projecting laterally outward, the at least one engagement projectionbeing laterally movable between an engaged position in which the atleast one engagement projection is received in one of the slots, and adisengaged position in which the at least one engagement projection isdislodged from the slots; a first biasing member (68) urging the firstlock member and the second lock member toward the engaged position; andan operating member (86) provided on the casing in a movable manner, andprovided with a cooperating cam surface (94) slidably engaging the camsurface such that the first lock member and the second lock member aremoved to the disengaged position against a biasing force of the firstbiasing member as the operating member is moved in a prescribeddirection.

Thereby, a reliable locked state with a high mechanical strength can beobtained with a simple structure. Further, the slide lock structure canbe formed as a single module so that the assembling of the slide lockstructure to the slide rail device can be facilitated.

Preferably, the slide lock structure according to an embodiment of thepresent invention further comprises a second biasing member (92) urgingthe operating member upward relative to the casing, wherein theoperating member is movable in a downward direction against a biasingforce of the second biasing member, and wherein the cam surface includesan inclined outer surface inclining outward from an upper end thereoftoward a lower end thereof, and the cooperating cam surface includes aninclined inner surface inclining outward from an upper end thereoftoward a lower end thereof so that the first lock member and the secondlock member are caused to move to the disengaged position against abiasing force of the first biasing member as the operating member ispushed downward.

Thereby, the first lock member and the second lock member can bereliably displaced to the disengaged position with a simple structure.

Preferably, the at least one engagement projection of each of the firstlock member and the second lock member includes a plurality ofengagement projections arranged with an interval in the lengthwisedirection which is an integer multiple of an interval between theadjacent slots.

Thereby, the multiple engagement projections are moved into thecorresponding slots so that a highly reliable locked state can beobtained.

Preferably, the inclined outer surface of each of the first lock memberand the second lock member includes a pair of inclined outer surfacesarranged one behind the other in the lengthwise direction in a mutuallyspaced relationship, and the inclined inner surface of the operatingmember includes two pairs of inclined inner surfaces corresponding tothe respective inclined outer surfaces.

Thereby, the cam surface and the cooperating cam surface can jointlycause the first lock member and the second lock member to be displacedto the disengaged position in a reliable manner.

Preferably, the inclined outer surfaces of the first lock member and thesecond lock member are each provided on a bottom surface of a groove(64) defined between the corresponding two adjoining engagementprojections, and the inclined inner surfaces are formed on inner endsurfaces of each of a pair of plate members (88) that are received inthe corresponding grooves in a vertically movable manner.

Thereby, the attitude of the plate members and the attitude of thecooperating cam surfaces are kept stable so that the cam surfaces andthe cooperating cam surfaces are able to displace the first lock memberand the second lock member to the disengaged position in reliablemanner.

Preferably, the first lock member and the second lock members areprovided with inner surfaces (56A) opposing each other, and the firstbiasing member includes a compression coil spring (68) interposedbetween the opposing inner surfaces so as to be adjacent to thecorresponding plate members from outside or inside in the lengthwisedirection.

Thereby, the biasing force of the compression coil spring applied to thefirst lock member and the second lock member can be stabilized so thatthe attitude of the plate members can be stabilized.

Preferably, the operating member includes a rod member (96) projectingupward in an intermediate part of the operating member between the twoplate members in the lengthwise direction so as to be configured to bepressed from outside.

Thereby, the load applied to the operating member is prevented frombecoming uneven along the lengthwise direction so that the verticalmovement of the operating member can be effected in a highly smoothmanner.

Preferably, the second biasing member includes a compression coil springinterposed between the casing and the intermediate part of the operatingmember.

Thereby, the spring force of the compression coil spring is preventedfrom acting unevenly on the operating member with respect to thelengthwise direction thereof so that the vertical movement of theoperating member can be effected in a highly smooth manner.

Preferably, each of the first lock member and the second lock member isprovided with a protrusion (61) in a bottom part thereof, and the casingis provided with a pair of recesses (62) for receiving the projections,respectively, in a laterally slidable manner.

Thereby, the linear lateral movement of the first lock member and thesecond lock member can be made more reliable.

Preferably, the casing is provided with a restricting portion (72, 74)that limits an outward movement of the first lock member and the secondlock member relative to the casing.

Thereby, the first lock member, the second lock member, and thecompression coil spring are formed as a single subassembly that can beefficiently assembled to the casing.

Preferably, the locking structure further includes a pair of restrictingplate members detachably retained to the casing in front of and behindthe first lock member and the second lock member, a laterally elongatedslot (76) formed in each plate member, and four protrusions (72)projecting in the lengthwise direction from end surfaces of the firstlock member and the second lock member and received by the correspondinglaterally elongated slots.

Thereby, the restricting portions can be formed by a small number ofparts, and the first lock member, the second lock member, and thecompression coil spring are formed as a single subassembly that can beefficiently assembled to the casing.

Preferably, the slots in the linear rail each form a part of a femalethread, and the engagement projections each form a part of a male threadconfigured to thread with the female thread.

Thereby, the rail can be used also for an electric slide rail deviceusing a motor-driven male screw member or worm that engages with theslots.

Effect of the Invention

The slide lock structure according to the present invention thusprovides a reliable locked state with high mechanical strength by usinga simple structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a simplified side view of a slide lock device according to anembodiment of the present invention as applied to a seat slide device ofan automotive seat device;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slide rail device provided with theslide lock device of the present embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the slide lock device of the present embodimentwith an upper case thereof removed;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view (taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3 ) of theslide lock device of the present embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the slide lock device of the presentembodiment;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the slide lock device of the presentembodiment with the upper case thereof removed;

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of an essential part of the slidelock device of the present embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a lock member (a right lock member)included in the slide lock device of the present embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the material for the rail of the sliderail device according to the present embodiment, and a press formingprocess;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rail finishing machine according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the rail finishing machine;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view of a finishing cutting tool formanufacturing the rail of the present embodiment;

FIG. 12B is a perspective view of a finishing grinding tool formanufacturing the rail of the present embodiment; vehicle; and

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a rail manufacturing device accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in thefollowing with reference to the appended drawings. In the followingdescription, members that come in a pair will be denoted by referencesigns consisting of the same number with respective suffixes such as Lor R when it is necessary to distinguish them from each other, but maybe collectively denoted by the same reference sign (number) without asuffix when it is not necessary to distinguish them from each other.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which the slide lock structure 10 accordingto an embodiment of the present embodiment is applied to a slide raildevice 14 for a fore and aft slide adjustment of a seat device 12 of anautomobile.

The seat device 12 is mounted on a floor panel 16 of an automobile. Theseat device 12 includes a base member 18, a seat cushion 20 mounted onthe base member 18 to support the buttocks of the occupant, and aseatback 22 extending upward from a rear part of the seat cushion 20 tosupport the back of the occupant.

A pair of slide rail devices 14 are provided in parallel with each otheralong the left and right sides of the seat device 12. Each slide raildevice 14 is provided with a linear rail 24 fixed to the lower surfaceof the floor panel 16 and extending in the fore and aft direction, and aslider 26 that is slidably engaged with the rail 24 so as to be slidablein the fore and aft direction.

Each slider 26 is fixed to the bottom of the base member 18. Thus, theseat device 12 can be moved in the fore and aft direction by the sliderail devices 14.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the rail 24 includes a bottom wall 30, a pair ofleft and right outer side walls 32L, 32R extending upright from eitherside edge of the bottom wall 30, a pair of left and right upper walls34L, 34R extending toward each other from the upper edges of therespective outer side walls 32L, 32R, and a pair of left and right innerside walls 36L, 36R (a first side wall and a second side wall) extendingdownward from the inner edges of the respective upper walls 34L, 34R.The rail 24 thus has a channel-shaped cross section having an open upperend and extending linearly in the lengthwise direction thereof (in thefore and aft direction). An opening 39 defined by the left and rightinner side walls 36L, 36R vertically aligns with a slot 17 formed in thefloor panel 16 as shown in FIG. 4 .

The left and right inner side walls 36L, 36R are laterally spaced fromeach other so as to oppose each other, and may be referred to as thefirst inner side wall and the second inner side wall. Each inner sidewall 36 is provided with a protrusion 38 protruding toward that of theother side wall 36. A plurality of slots 40 are formed in each of theprotrusions 38 at predetermined intervals along the lengthwisedirection, or in other words, at a predetermined pitch P. Each slot 40is vertically elongated, and is inclined relative to the verticaldirection at a lead angle α (see FIG. 9 ), and elongated in the verticaldirection. As a result, the slots 40 define a female thread group formedby the plurality of slots 40 jointly forming a part of a female thread,or teeth of a worm wheel developed in a plane.

The slide lock structure 10 is configured to releasably lock the slider26 to the rail 24 at a desired position in the fore and aft direction.In other words, the slide lock structure 10 fixes the seat device 12,which is the object of the slide lock, at a desired position in the foreand aft direction on the floor panel 16.

In the following, the details of the slide lock structure 10 will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 2 to 8 . The slide lock structure 10is provided with a rectangular parallelepiped casing 50 which is formedby a lower case 52 and an upper case 54, and elongated in the fore andaft direction. The casing 50 is fixed to the slider 26 (see FIG. 1 ),and most of the casing 50 is located within the left and right innerside walls 36L, 36R in side view.

The casing 50 receives a pair of lock members 56L, 56R (first lockmember and second lock member) laterally next to each other so as to beimmobile in the fore and aft direction and the vertical direction, butmovable in the lateral direction.

Each lock member 56 is provided with a plurality of engagementprojections 58 protruding laterally outward from the laterally outerside surface thereof. The engagement projections 58 on each lock member56 are provided at the same interval or an integer multiple of theintervals (pitch P) of the slots 40, and inclined with respect to thevertical direction by the same angle as the lead angle α. The engagementprojections 58 protrude laterally outward from openings 51 (see FIG. 5 )formed on the side walls of the casing 50. Each lock member 56 can bedisplaced between an engaged position where the engagement projections58 are received by the slots 40 and a disengaged position where theengagement projections 58 are disengaged from the slots 40.

Each lock member 56 is provided with a rectangular protrusion 61 (seeFIG. 8) protruding downward from an intermediate part (½ position) ofthe bottom surface with respect to the fore and aft direction. The lowercase 52 is provided with two recesses 62L, 62R (see FIG. 7 ) at thebottom such that each recess 62 receives the protrusion 61 of thecorresponding lock member 56 so as to be slidable in the lateraldirection. The slidable engagement between the protrusion 61 and therecess 62 linearly guides the lateral displacement of each lock member56 between the engaged position and the disengaged position. Thus, thelinear movement of the left and right lock members 56L, 56R in thelateral direction can be performed in a reliable manner.

Each lock member 56 is provided with a pair of grooves 64 (front andrear grooves 64F, 64R) extending laterally therethrough and arranged onebehind the other in the fore and aft direction and each between adjacentengagement projections 58. The bottom surface of each groove 64 forms acam surface 66 (see FIG. 4 ). Therefore, the two cam surfaces 66 (frontand rear cam surfaces 66F, 66R) of each lock member 56 are providedspaced apart from each other in the lengthwise direction (fore and aftdirection). More specifically, each cam surface 66 is provided on thebottom surface of each groove 64 which is formed between thecorresponding mutually adjoining engagement projections 58, and includesat least one inclined outer surface which is inclined outward from theupper side to the lower side thereof. The front and rear cam surfaces66F, 66R of the lock members 56 each form a symmetrical pair which arelaterally next to each other.

The lock members 56 are provided with inner side surfaces 56A that faceeach other in the lateral direction. A pair of compression coil springs68 (front and rear coil springs 68F, 68R) forming a first biasing memberare provided between the inner side surfaces 56A of the lock members 56one behind the other in the fore and aft direction. Each compressioncoil spring 68 adjoins the corresponding groove 64 from the outside withrespect to the fore and aft direction, or in other words, adjoins aplate member 88 (a front plate member 88F or a rear front member 88R,which will be described later) fitted in the corresponding groove 64from the outside with respect to the fore and aft direction. Further,each compression coil spring 68 adjoins the front ends or the rear endsof the lock members 56. The compression coil springs 68 thus urge thelock members 56 toward the engaged position.

Since the compression coil springs 68 are positioned adjacent to thecorresponding plate members 88, the lock members 56 are urged by thecompression coil springs 68 in a stable manner, and the attitude of theplate members 88 is stabilized.

Each lock member 56 is provided with a pair of retainer recesses 57(front and rear retainer recesses 57F, 57R) (see FIG. 8 ) that open atthe inner side surface 56A thereof to receive the ends of thecorresponding compression coil springs 68. The lower case 52 is providedwith a pair of spring cradles 70 (front and rear spring cradles 70F,70R) (see FIG. 7 ) at the bottom thereof, each provided with an arcuateupper surface that supports an intermediate part of the correspondingcompression coil spring 68.

Each lock member 56 is provided with a pair of protrusions 72 (front andrear protrusions 72F, 72R) that protrudes outward in the fore and aftdirection from the front and rear ends thereof, respectively. A pair ofrestricting plates 74 (front and rear restriction plates 74F, 74R) arepositioned at the front and rear ends of the lock members 56. Eachrestricting plate 74 is provided with a pair of laterally elongatedslots 76. Each elongated slot 76 receives the corresponding protrusion72 in a laterally slidable manner. Each restricting plate 74 is providedwith a downwardly extending tongue piece 78 which is vertically insertedinto a corresponding one of engaging grooves 80 (front and rear engaginggrooves 80F, 80R) formed in the bottom of the lower case 52 in avertically removable manner.

As a result, each restricting plate 74 is detachably retained by thecasing 50, and in cooperation with the protrusions 72, forms arestricting portion that restricts the laterally inward and outwardmovement of the left and right lock members 56L, 56R with respect to thecasing 50. The restricting portion defines the engaged position and thedisengaged position of the lock members 56 by restricting the limits ofthe lateral movement of each lock member 56.

The restricting plates 74 join the left and right lock members 56L, 56R,which are urged by the compression coil springs 68 away from each other,to each other so that the left and right lock members 56L, 56R and thecompression coil springs 68 can be handled as a single module orassembly. Thereby, the left and right lock members 56L, 56R, thecompression coil springs 68, and the restricting plates 74 can beassembled to the lower case 52 as a single subassembly in an efficientmanner.

An operating member 86 is provided in the casing 50 so as to bedisplaceable in the vertical direction. The operating member 86 is anassembly of a pair of plate members 88 (front and rear plate members88F, 88R) opposing each other in the fore and aft direction in parallelto each other and in a spaced apart relationship, and an intermediateconnecting member 90 that connects the two plate members 88 to eachother.

A compression coil spring 92 (see FIG. 4 ) forming a second urgingmember is interposed between a central part of the intermediateconnecting member 90 which is positioned centrally of the operatingmember 86 and a retainer recess 82 formed at the bottom of the lowercase 52. The compression coil spring 92 urges the operating member 86upward with respect to the casing 50. Since the compression coil spring92 is positioned such that the spring force of the compression coilspring 92 acts centrally on the intermediate connecting member 90 withrespect to the lengthwise direction, the biasing force of thecompression coil spring 92 is prevented from acting unevenly on theoperating member 86 with respect to the lengthwise direction, so thatthe operating member 86 can be displaced in the vertical direction in asmooth manner.

Each plate member 88 includes a connecting portion 88A provided in alaterally central part thereof, and connected to the intermediateconnecting member 90, a pair of arm portions 88B (left and right armportions 88BL, 88BR) extending laterally outward from the connectingportion 88A, and a pair of depending portions 88C (left and rightdepending portions 88CL, 88CR) depending downward from the free ends ofthe respective arm portions 88B, all in a symmetric manner. The left andright arm portions 88BL, 88BR and the depending portions 88CL, 88CR arereceived in the corresponding grooves 64 of the left and right lockmembers 56L, 56R so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

The depending portions 88C are provided with cooperating cam surfaces94, so as to correspond to the cam surfaces 66, on the inner endsurfaces thereof, respectively. Therefore, each of the front and rearplate members 88L, 88R is provided with two cooperating cam surfaces 94(left and right cooperating cam surfaces 94L, 94R). Thus, the fourcooperating cam surfaces 94 are located on either side of the front andrear parts of the single operating member 86 so as to correspond to therespective cam surfaces 66. Each cooperating cam surface 94 includes atleast one inclined inner surface that is inclined outward from the upperside to the lower side thereof, and is configured to be in slidablecontact with the corresponding cam surface 66. The cooperating camsurfaces 94 of each plate member 88 form a bilaterally symmetric pair.

Each cooperating cam surface 94 comes into contact with thecorresponding cam surface 66 as the operating member 86 is pusheddownward against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 92,and is slidably displaced downward with respect to the cam surface 66.Thus, the vertical displacement of the operating member 86 is convertedinto the lateral movements of the left and right lock members 56L, 56Rso that the left and right lock members 56L, 56R are simultaneouslydisplaced to the disengaged position against the biasing force of thecompression coil springs 68.

As described above, each plate member 88 is slidably received in thecorresponding groove 64, and the vertical movement thereof with respectto the lock members 56 is guided by the wall surface defining the groove64 so that each plate member 88 is prevented from wobbling with respectto the lock members 56, and the attitude of each plate member 88 withrespect to the lock members 56 is stabilized. As a result, the attitudeof the cooperating cam surfaces 94 is stabilized so that the camsurfaces 66 and the cooperating cam surfaces 94 can cause the lockmembers 56 to be smoothly and reliably displaced to the disengagedposition.

Further, the cam surfaces 66 of each of the left and right lock members56L, 56R are provided so as to be spaced apart in the lengthwisedirection, and the four cooperating cam surfaces 94 of the operatingmember 86 are also provided in the front and rear parts thereof so as tocorrespond to the respective cam surfaces 66. Thereby, each lock member56 can be smoothly and reliably displaced to the disengaged position.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the operating member 86 is provided with aninclined upper surface 88D at the base of each of the arm portions 88Bof the plate members 88, and the uppermost position of the operatingmember 86 under the upward biasing force is defined by the abutting ofthe inclined upper surface 88D with a corresponding inclined lowersurface 54C of the upper case 54 located at the end of each of fourslots 54A formed in the upper case 54. Each arm portion 88B and eachdepending portion 88C are partly received in the corresponding slot 54Awhen the operating member 86 is located at the uppermost position.

The operating member 86 further includes a rod-shaped rod member 96projecting centrally therefrom or from a central part of theintermediate connecting member 90 with respect to the lengthwisedirection between the two plate members 88. The rod member 96 is passedthrough a through hole 54B formed in the upper case 54, and projectsupward from the casing 50 so as to be pressed downward from the outside.

The slide lock structure 10 configured as described above can be handledas a single module so that the assembling of the slide lock structure tothe slide rail device is facilitated. More specifically, one of theunique features of the slide lock structure 10 is that all of thecomponents thereof can be packaged as a single assembly that fits withinthe rail 24, instead of being positioned on top of the rail 24. Further,the locked state of the slide lock structure 10 can be achieved bylaterally sliding the left and right lock members 56L, 56R in thelateral direction without the need for rotational movement around afulcrum point. As a result, the slide lock structure 10 can be minimizedin size and simplified in structure so as to be compactly concealedunder the seat device 12.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the upper surface of the rod member 96 is incontact with an end part of an operating lever 28 rotatably attached tothe base member 18 by a horizontal pivot 27. The rod member 96 can bepressed downward by rotating the operating lever 28 in the clockwisedirection about the horizontal pivot 27.

In a normal state when the rod member 96 is not pressed downward, asshown in FIG. 4 , the operating member 86 is in the raised positionunder the biasing force of the compression coil spring 92, and the leftand right cooperating cam surfaces 94L, 94R are vertically separatedfrom the corresponding cam surfaces 66 (in FIG. 4 , the rear cooperatingcam surfaces 66R of the left and right lock members 56L, 56R are shown).

Therefore, the left and right lock members 56L, 56R are placed at theengaged position under the spring force of the compression coil springs68. As a result, all the engagement projections 58 of the left and rightlock members 56L, 56R are received by the corresponding slots 40 formedin the left and right inner side walls 36L, 36R of the rail 24 so thatthe locked state is achieved, and the slider 26 is prevented from movingin the lengthwise direction of the rail 24 together with the casing 50.Thus, the seat device 12 can be fixed at any desired position in thefore and aft direction on the floor panel 16.

Since the locked state is obtained by the engagement projections 58 ofthe left and right lock members 56L, 56R entering the correspondingslots 40 formed in the left and right inner side walls 36L, 36R, ahighly secure locking with a high mechanical strength can be achieved byusing a simple structure and without the fear of causing deformation inany of the component parts as compared to the case where the lockedstate is obtained by engaging a latch claw with one of the teeth of therack.

The locked state can be released by pressing the rod member 96 downwardagainst the biasing force of the compression coil spring 92. When therod member 96 is pressed downward, the operating member 86 is displaceddownward. As a result, the four cooperating cam surfaces 94 on eitherside in the front and rear parts of the operating member 86 abut againstthe corresponding cam surfaces 66 simultaneously and are displaceddownward with respect to the cam surfaces 66 so that the left and rightlock members 56L, 56R are displaced to the disengaged positionsimultaneously or in a symmetric manner against the biasing force of thecompression coil springs 68. Thus, the left and right lock members 56L,56R can be reliably displaced to the disengaged position with a simplestructure.

Once the left and right lock members 56L, 56R are both located at thedisengaged position, all of the engagement projections 58 of the leftand right lock members 56L, 56R are reliably disengaged from thecorresponding slots 40 so that the locked state is released in areliable manner. In the unlocked state, the slider 26 can freely move inthe lengthwise direction of the rail 24 together with the casing 50 sothat the position of the seat device 12 in the fore and aft directioncan be changed as desired.

Since the slots 40 of the rail 24 form a part of a screw thread or aseries of teeth of a worm wheel, the rail 24 can also be used for anelectric slide rail device which uses an electric motor-driven malescrew member or worm engaging with the slots 40, and can be applied to aslide rail device which can be commonly used for both an electricallypowered slide device and a manually operated slide device.

Next, a process of manufacturing the rail 24 provided with the slots 40will be described in the following with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12 .

As shown in FIG. 9A, first of all, a strip of flat plate 100 made ofsteel is prepared as a material for the rail 24, and as shown in FIG.9B, side edges of the flat plate 100 are punched by a punching pressmachine (not shown in the drawings) to form the slots (rough slots orpilot slots) at the prescribed pitch P along the length thereof Eachslot 40 is inclined at the prescribed lead angle α relative to thelateral direction. The slots 40 may be formed by two for each punchingstroke to reduce the press load.

Then the flat plate 100 is bent by a bender machine (not shown in thedrawings) to form the rail 24 which is bent as shown in FIG. 9C.

The rail 24 is finished by using a finishing machine 110 as shown inFIGS. 10 and 11 . The finishing process of the rail 24 includes pitchcorrection and lead angle correction of each slot 40.

The finishing machine 110 includes a base 111, a linear transport guiderail 112 provided on the base 111, a workpiece transfer table 114engaged with the transport guide rail 112 so as to be slidable in thelengthwise direction thereof, and a machining head 118 positioned abovethe base 111 by a gate-shaped gantry 116.

The rail 24 is positioned and placed on an upper part of the workpiecetransfer table 114 by using positioning pins 115.

The machining head 118 includes a base plate 120, four horizontalalignment rollers 122 rotatably supported by the base plate 120 andarranged in front and rear on either side, vertical alignment rollers124 rotatably supported by the base plate 120 and arranged in four pairsalong the lengthwise direction, and a pair of finishing cutting tools126 (front and rear finishing cutting tools 126F, 126R) rotatablysupported by the base plate 120 and arranged one behind the other alongthe lengthwise direction.

The horizontal alignment rollers 122 rotatably contact the outersurfaces of the corresponding outer side walls 32 of the rail 24transported by the workpiece transfer table 114, and laterally positionthe rail 24 with respect to the finishing cutting tools 126. Thevertical alignment rollers 124 rotatably contact the upper surfaces ofthe left and right upper walls 34L, 34L of the rail 24, and verticallyposition the rail 24 (to prevent the lifting of the rail) with respectto the finishing cutting tools 126.

Each finishing cutting tool 126 is supported by a bearing mount 128attached to the lower surface of the base plate 120 so as to berotatable around a horizontal axis extending in the fore and aftdirection. The front finishing cutting tool 126F and the rear finishingcutting tool 126R are laterally offset from each other so that the frontfinishing cutting tool 126F performs the finishing cut of the slots 40on the right side of the rail 24, and the rear finishing cutting tool126R performs the finishing cut of the slots 40 on the left side of therail 24.

Each finishing cutting tool 126 is integrally provided with a gear 132,which will be described later. A pair of intermediate gears 136, whichare rotatably mounted to the base plate 120 by respective bearing mounts134, individually mesh with the gears 132 of the finishing cutting tools126. The intermediate gears 136 also individually mesh with the drivegears 140 which are mounted one behind the other on a common drive shaft138 extending in the fore and aft direction. The drive shaft 138 isconnected to an electric motor (not shown in the drawings) mounted onthe base plate 120, and is rotationally driven by the electric motor.

Thus, the two finishing cutting tools 126 positioned one behind theother are rotationally driven by the gear train described above insynchronism.

As shown in FIG. 12A, each finishing cutting tool 126 is provided with aholder 142 having the shape of a male screw (worm-shape) having the samepitch as the pitch P and the same lead angle as the lead angle α, and acentral shaft portion 143 integrally formed with the holder 142 andprojecting from the front and rear ends thereof. The gear 132 mentionedearlier is integrally attached to the outer periphery of one of theprojecting ends of the central shaft portion 143.

A pair of grooves 146 extending in the axial direction are formed on theouter circumference of the holder 142 at two locations rotationallydisplaced by 180 degrees around the central axis. A cutting blade 148made of a comb-shaped flat plate having teeth arranged at the same pitchas the pitch P is detachably fitted into each groove 146. Each cuttingblade 148 is fixed in the axial direction with respect to the holder 142in the corresponding groove 144 so that the pitch of the teeth of thecutting blade 148 matches the pitch of the screw thread of the holder142.

While the two front and rear finishing cutting tools 126F, 126R arerotationally driven, the rail 24 is conveyed toward the machining head118 at a predetermined speed by the workpiece transfer table 114 so thatthe cutting blades 148 of the finishing cutting tools 126 perform thefinishing cutting of the slots 40 in the rail 24.

As another embodiment, a grinding tool 150 as shown in FIG. 12B may beattached to the machining head 118 instead of the finishing cutting tool126 so that the slots 40 may be finished by grinding. The grinding tool150 is formed by sintering a suitable material into a male screw shape(worm shape) having the same pitch as the pitch P and the same leadangle as the lead angle α.

Further, as yet another embodiment, the slots 40 may be punched out byusing a roller type punch 162 provided with a plurality of punches 160arranged on the outer peripheral surface thereof and a roller type die166 provided with corresponding dies 164 arranged on the outerperipheral surface thereof, as shown in FIG. 13 .

The present invention has been described in terms of preferredembodiments thereof, but as can be readily appreciated by a personskilled in the art, the present invention is not limited to suchembodiments and can be changed in various ways without departing fromthe scope of the present invention.

For example, the engagement projections 58 of each of the left and rightlock members 56L, 56R may also be one or more than four in number. Thecompression coil springs 68 may also be arranged so as to be adjacent tothe plate members 88 from the inside with respect to the fore and aftdirection.

The slide lock structure 10 according to the present invention is notlimited to the application to the slide rail device 14 for the seatdevice 12, but can also be applied to the slide rail device 14 forvarious other devices.

In addition, not all of the components shown in the above embodimentsare indispensable for the present invention, and such components can beappropriately selected and substituted without departing from the scopeof the present invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 10: slide lock structure 12: seat device 14:slide rail device 16: floor panel 17: slot 18: base member 20: seatcushion 22: seatback 24: rail 26: slider 27: horizontal pivot 28:operating lever 30: bottom wall 32: outer wall 34: upper wall 36: innerside wall (first side wall, second side wall) 38: protrusion 39: opening40: slot 50: casing 51: opening 52: lower case 54: upper case 54A: slot54B: through hole 54c: inclined lower surface 56: lock member (firstlock member, second lock member) 56a: inner side surface 57: retainerrecess 58: engagement protrusion 60: groove 61: protrusion 62: recess64: groove 66: cam surface 68: compression coil spring 70: spring cradle72: protrusion 74: restricting plate 76: slot 78: tongue piece 80:engagement groove 82: retainer recess 86: operating member 88: platemember 88A: connecting part 88B: arm portion 88C: depending portion 88D:inclined upper surface 90: intermediate connecting member 92:compression coil spring 94: cooperating cam surface 96: rod member 100:flat plate 110: finishing machine 111: base 112: transport guide rail114: workpiece carrier 115: positioning pin 116: gate-shaped gantry 118:machining head 120: base plate 122: horizontal alignment roller 124:vertical alignment roller 126: finishing cutting tool 128: bearing mount132: gear 134: bearing mount 136: intermediate gear 138: drive shaft140: drive gear 142: holder 143: central shaft portion 144: groove 148:cutting blade 150: grinding tool 160: punch 162: roller type punch 164:die 166: roller type die

The invention claimed is:
 1. A slide lock structure for a slide raildevice including a linear rail extending in a lengthwise direction, andhaving a channel cross section including a first side wall and a secondside wall that are separated from and oppose each other in a lateraldirection, each side wall being provided with a plurality of slotsarranged along the lengthwise direction thereof, and a slider slidablyengaging the linear rail, the slide lock structure, comprising: a casingattached to the slider and including a part located between the firstside wall and the second side wall; a first lock member and a secondlock member each provided on the casing, and provided with a cam surfaceformed on an outer side thereof, and at least one engagement projectionprojecting laterally outward, the at least one engagement projectionbeing laterally movable between an engaged position in which the atleast one engagement projection is received in one of the slots, and adisengaged position in which the at least one engagement projection isdislodged from the slots; a first biasing member urging the first lockmember and the second lock member toward the engaged position; and anoperating member provided on the casing in a movable manner, andprovided with a cooperating cam surface slidably engaging the camsurface such that the first lock member and the second lock member aremoved to the disengaged position against a biasing force of the firstbiasing member as the operating member is moved in a prescribeddirection, wherein the slide lock structure further comprises a secondbiasing member urging the operating member upward relative to thecasing, wherein the operating member is movable in a downward directionagainst a biasing force of the second biasing member, and wherein thecam surface includes an inclined outer surface inclining outward from anupper end thereof toward a lower end thereof, and the cooperating camsurface includes an inclined inner surface inclining outward from anupper end thereof toward a lower end thereof so that the first lockmember and the second lock member are caused to move to the disengagedposition against a biasing force of the first biasing member as theoperating member is pushed downward.
 2. The slide lock structureaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one engagement projection ofeach of the first lock member and the second lock member includes aplurality of engagement projections arranged with an interval in thelengthwise direction which is an integer multiple of an interval betweenthe adjacent slots.
 3. The slide lock structure according to claim 2,wherein the inclined outer surface of each of the first lock member andthe second lock member includes a pair of inclined outer surfacesarranged one behind another in the lengthwise direction in a mutuallyspaced relationship, and the inclined inner surface of the operatingmember includes two pairs of inclined inner surfaces corresponding tothe inclined outer surfaces, respectively.
 4. The slide lock structureaccording to claim 3, wherein the inclined outer surfaces of the firstlock member and the second lock member are each provided on a bottomsurface of one of grooves each defined between corresponding twoadjoining engagement projections of the plurality of engagementprojections, and the inclined inner surfaces are formed on inner endsurfaces of each of a pair of plate members that are received incorresponding ones of the grooves in a vertically movable manner.
 5. Theslide lock structure according to claim 4, wherein the first lock memberand the second lock member are provided with inner surfaces opposingeach other, and the first biasing member includes a compression coilspring interposed between the opposing inner surfaces so as to beadjacent to one of the pair of plate members from outside or inside inthe lengthwise direction.
 6. The slide lock structure according to claim5, wherein the operating member includes a rod member projecting upwardso as to be configured to be pressed from outside in an intermediatepart of the operating member between the two plate members in thelengthwise direction.
 7. The slide lock structure according to claim 6,wherein the second biasing member includes a compression coil springinterposed between the casing and the intermediate part of the operatingmember.
 8. A slide lock structure for a slide rail device including alinear rail extending in a lengthwise direction, and having a channelcross section including a first side wall and a second side wall thatare separated from and oppose each other in a lateral direction, eachside wall being provided with a plurality of slots arranged along thelengthwise direction thereof, and a slider slidably engaging the linearrail, the slide lock structure, comprising: a casing attached to theslider and including a part located between the first side wall and thesecond side wall; a first lock member and a second lock member eachprovided on the casing, and provided with a cam surface formed on anouter side thereof, and at least one engagement projection projectinglaterally outward, the at least one engagement projection beinglaterally movable between an engaged position in which the at least oneengagement projection is received in one of the slots, and a disengagedposition in which the at least one engagement projection is dislodgedfrom the slots; a first biasing member urging the first lock member andthe second lock member toward the engaged position; and an operatingmember provided on the casing in a movable manner, and provided with acooperating cam surface slidably engaging the cam surface such that thefirst lock member and the second lock member are moved to the disengagedposition against a biasing force of the first biasing member as theoperating member is moved in a prescribed direction, wherein the casingis provided with a restricting portion that limits an outward movementof the first lock member and the second lock member relative to thecasing.
 9. The slide lock structure according to claim 8, wherein therestricting portion includes a pair of restricting plate membersdetachably retained to the casing in front of and behind the first lockmember and the second lock member, a laterally elongated slot formed ineach plate member, and four protrusions projecting in the lengthwisedirection from end surfaces of the first lock member and the second lockmember and received by corresponding laterally elongated slots.
 10. Aslide lock structure for a slide rail device including a linear railextending in a lengthwise direction, and having a channel cross sectionincluding a first side wall and a second side wall that are separatedfrom and oppose each other in a lateral direction, each side wall beingprovided with a plurality of slots arranged along the lengthwisedirection thereof, and a slider slidably engaging the linear rail, theslide lock structure, comprising: a casing attached to the slider andincluding a part located between the first side wall and the second sidewall; a first lock member and a second lock member each provided on thecasing, and provided with a cam surface formed on an outer side thereof,and at least one engagement projection projecting laterally outward, theat least one engagement projection being laterally movable between anengaged position in which the at least one engagement projection isreceived in one of the slots, and a disengaged position in which the atleast one engagement projection is dislodged from the slots; a firstbiasing member urging the first lock member and the second lock membertoward the engaged position; and an operating member provided on thecasing in a movable manner, and provided with a cooperating cam surfaceslidably engaging the cam surface such that the first lock member andthe second lock member are moved to the disengaged position against abiasing force of the first biasing member as the operating member ismoved in a prescribed direction, wherein each of the first lock memberand the second lock member is provided with a projection in a bottompart thereof, and the casing is provided with a pair of recesses forreceiving the projections, respectively, in a laterally slidable manner.11. The slide lock structure according to claim 1, wherein the slots inthe linear rail each form a part of a female thread, and the engagementprojections each form a part of a male thread configured to thread withthe female thread.